What I Read: Feb ’20

Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid: Holy cow this book! I listened to it – which is how I would recommend consuming this faux memoir. Told as interviews from the members of the 70’s most famous rock band, it is a truly inventive form of fiction. That said, I found the characters to be vapid, self-centered and not at all likable – and that is despite struggling to find the real conflict in the plot. However, there is a twist at the end that brings story telling and memory into question. I hated the characters but loved the way this journey made me think.

Inland by Tea Obreht: In the lawless, drought-ridden lands of the Arizona Territory in 1893, two extraordinary lives unfold. Nora is an unflinching frontierswoman awaiting the return of the men in her life. Meanwhile, Lurie is a former outlaw and a man haunted by ghosts [here]. I listened to this and to be quite honest, I struggled to connect to it. They are two very interesting stories but felt they were cobbled together at the end as both were too short for a full length novel.

At Water’s Edge by Sara Gruen: This was a recommendation from a good friend, whose taste I usually enjoy! However, the first third was full so much ostentatious wealth and self-centeredness, I did not immediately understand the recommendation. However, I stayed with it and as the main character finds her footing, so does the story and it begins to soar. Worth checking out if WWII fiction is your jam!

Midnight Sun (Blood on Snow #2) by Jo Nesbo: This was a follow up to a murder mystery I enjoyed years ago and my tolerance for self-centered villians is waaaaay down. Will not seek out the third in this series.

The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry: This is the traditional story and I was glad to read this quickie. I love filling in gaps in my classics reading.

Halsey Street by Naomi Coster: This debut contemporary novel was a Kindle First book and it took over 6 months for me to finish it. Addressing gentrification, art, damaged familial relationships, Coster has a intriguing view of the world and I’d be interested in what she takes on next.

Cozy Minimalist Home by Myquillyn Smith: I flew thru this and found a few good nuggets but found her taste to be very similar to the style I’m naturally drawn to.